Politics

In a third day of deadly fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border, four Armenian soldiers are killed; a number of border villages continue to sustain Azerbaijani fire; cyberattack targets Armenian government and media websites; Armenian Air Defense Units shoot down an Azerbaijani drone and more.

After an attempt by Azerbaijani soldiers to cross over the Armenian border on July 12, tensions escalated between the two sides, leaving at least four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and an already fragile region rattled.

The Caucasus Barometer survey conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country, reveals that the overall mood of the Armenian public was optimistic.

Armenia’s Government approved the Strategy on Armenian Police Reform and its accompanying action plan back in April. Will the implementation of this new strategy help to heal decades of mistrust?

During an extraordinary session, Armenia’s National Assembly initiated and unanimously approved a set of Constitutional amendments to address the crisis of political and institutional legitimacy of the Constitutional Court.

Armenian authorities have confirmed repeatedly that visa liberalization with the EU is one of the government’s top priorities, however, issues still remain.

The leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan was stripped of his parliamentary immunity to face criminal charges and be held in detention. A Yerevan court, however, ruled that he will not be held in pre-trial detention.

Gagik Tsarukyan is a remnant of the previous system. The era of oligarchs is over, and Tsarukyan must make his peace with that. Armenia is no longer a country for corrupt old men, writes Dr. Nerses Kopalyan.

Armenia’s transition in 1991 brought about a state with a blatant disregard for democracy. The current government should realize the importance of moving forward with a more systematic, effective and coordinated transitional justice platform.

Armenia’s parliament recently passed the “Law on the Confiscation of Illegally-Acquired Assets.” It is portrayed as a major anti-corruption measure and according to authorities is aimed at former and current officials.